Inversion Therapy Tables

[LostArt]

I know this is the Linework Forum guys, but I wanted to make sure I reached everyone that might be using one. I'm thinking of purchasing one for my husband. He has complained about his back for years. He comes home several months ago thinking he needs one of these.

Anyone here using one? Are they any good? Are they working? What brand are you using?

[cavergreg]

I dont remember what brand i have,just a cheap one, but i love mine, sure makes my back feel better

[topgroove]

i'm not sure if most people realize the spinal cord has no blood vessels keeping the spine lubricated. Its spinal fluid that keeps the discs between the vertibrae lubricated . if you've noticed we actually shrink in height over the years. i've lost almost an inch since I was eighteen. I'm 46 now. that's the discs getting thinner. By using the inversion machines or the the tables at a chiropracter it helps to lubricate your discs and keep them nourished and healthy. Little things like replacing your work boots helps a lot. take a good look at your work boots after a couple years. notice one heal is worn down more than the other? this can force your hips and spine out out of adjustment. If you carry a wallet or anything else in your back pocket, get rid of it. every day take a couple minutes to strech out. you'll be surprised how good you feel after a couple weeks.

[LostArt]

Do you have one Grove?

Mentioning the spinal cord always reminds me of my brother. He has been a quad since '81. A long time. He stays fit. Not long ago he was in a car accident which dislocated his hip. He went to the doctor but they didn't recommend surgery...not for one in his condition. It would be like starting all over. So, now he lives with both pains. So unfair to such a nice guy. The doctors said he was in good shape to be handicaped so long. He met the doctor who did his surgery in '81 and the doctor was shocked to see him looking so healthy. They told my parents at the time that handicaps don't live long.

I have another story about spinal injuries. This one involving a long time friend and lineman. But, I have to cook supper! :D

[LostArt]

I dont remember what brand i have,just a cheap one, but i love mine, sure makes my back feel better

Find out the brand for me Greg. :D

[Edge]

heya L.A...

try badbacks.com I think it is... I bought a humantouch zero grav chair from there years ago and they also have some good info on surgerys and all kinds of other stuff... I've ordered serval products from them... well not them found vendors here in the US with them... then bought 'em...

the sites aussie I think... most of their prices are too...

and if the "boss" is looking for a back brace try Koolback they make 'em just for lineman as well as others... they make them that hook to your belt as well as just for ground work...

I know what it's like to suffer... had lumbar surgery years ago... it made the pain easier... but a the cost of a lot of moblity... over the years though the pain just keeps seeping through...

guess we were born to suffer...

for what it's worth dear lady...

Edge

[topgroove]

Do you have one Grove?

Mentioning the spinal cord always reminds me of my brother. He has been a quad since '81. A long time. He stays fit. Not long ago he was in a car accident which dislocated his hip. He went to the doctor but they didn't recommend surgery...not for one in his condition. It would be like starting all over. So, now he lives with both pains. So unfair to such a nice guy. The doctors said he was in good shape to be handicaped so long. He met the doctor who did his surgery in '81 and the doctor was shocked to see him looking so healthy. They told my parents at the time that handicaps don't live long.

I have another story about spinal injuries. This one involving a long time friend and lineman. But, I have to cook supper! :D
No I don't have one, but I know they work. When I go to the chiropracter, I lay face down on this table and it raises and lowers from the hip down. It gently expands and contracts your vertabrae. It gets the spinal fluid into the discs and its very relaxing. A couple guys at work have an inversion table... I'll ask them what brand they have. A good friend of mine is a quad also, he has limited use in his arms but I'll tell you what... he looked better than me last time I saw him. He's been in a chair for over thirty years.

[Lineman North Florida]

Mine is a Healthrider Inversion System, I think it is made by the same people that make the Nordic Trac stuff, I have used the cheaper ones and they work just as well there just not as comfortable, to me the most important factor in picking one is what kind of set up it has for your feet and ankles because that is where all the strain will be and some of the ones I have seen are quite uncomfortable and if it hurts you to use it you wont. I had a herniated disc that herniated inward and pinched off my spinal column and the second it happened I was down, they wanted to do open back surgery but I was told about a place that's only a couple hours away that could do it all arthriscopiclly, best move for me I'm not sure what all they did but they fixed me to where I could get up and go again and go back to work and they recommended the inversion table, I have used mine about twice a week ever since. Kinda long and drawn out but I hope that helps L.A. P.S. it's been a while but Mike Honcho sent you a picture of himself and it looked like he had one in the background to me so he may be able to shed some light on em.

[Pootnaigle]

You youngsters should pay attention to this. Bad backs are a common occurence with linemen. Take care of em now before you need one of these contraptions.Learn how to lift with yer legs and save your back and spine future damages. One of the best linemen I ever worked with can barley walk and cannot stand up straight, Many spend lottsa miserable sleepless nights and damn uncomfortable days.

[cavergreg]

Find out the brand for me Greg. :D

Mine is a Stamina brand, $150 at dunham sports

[MI-Lineman]

You youngsters should pay attention to this. Bad backs are a common occurence with linemen. Take care of em now before you need one of these contraptions.Learn how to lift with yer legs and save your back and spine future damages. One of the best linemen I ever worked with can barley walk and cannot stand up straight, Many spend lottsa miserable sleepless nights and damn uncomfortable days.

Yea and ever notice how "Bucket Babies" (little ditty I learned from Heel:D) choose to lean out far over the lip of a bucket instead of takin two seconds to reach over and operate the pistol grip to get closer to their work! That does wonders for your back!:rolleyes: NOT!

THAT'S WHY CLIMBING IS BETTER FOR YA BACK!!:)

We have a cheap table at the shop and it does work great!

[Mike-E]

I've used inversion/decompression for years now and love it. When I first started playing rugby we had a set of gravity boots at the team house for all to use. Years later I tried my father-in-law's inversion table and it really made it feel good to get up in the morning. I got my own inversion table from my wife 3 years ago for christmas and still use when I'm home(Ironman brand). Then I bought my own personal set of gravity boots last winter(Spyder is the brand, they make skiing equipment). I take the gravity boots with me everywhere. They are compact enough to put in the backseat of the pickup and you can get a great workout using them aside from the spinal decompression therapy. My chiropractors have all told me that inversion therapy doesn't work, I think the small investment is worth a try for anybody. I still see the bone crunchers for adjustments, but not as much as a lot of folks I know.

[BigClive]

Yea and ever notice how "Bucket Babies" (little ditty I learned from Heel:D) choose to lean out far over the lip of a bucket instead of takin two seconds to reach over and operate the pistol grip to get closer to their work! That does wonders for your back!:rolleyes: NOT!


Uh oh, that's what I do a lot because of my long reach. And yes, it does put unreasonable pressure on your back. Then again, think how thin the spine is in the first place and you realise that it really doesn't take much lifting to do damage, and when you're lifting cable that gets pulled or swung then it really doesn't help.

Apparently it used to be fairly common in the UK for workers with bad backs to hook their hands over the top of a door and hang from it for a while. I've only ever tried that briefly when I've already done my back in. Sleepless nights indeed. Every time you naturally turn over in bed it wakes you up, and I just can't sleep lying on my back.

[MI-Lineman]

Uh oh, that's what I do a lot because of my long reach. And yes, it does put unreasonable pressure on your back. Then again, think how thin the spine is in the first place and you realise that it really doesn't take much lifting to do damage, and when you're lifting cable that gets pulled or swung then it really doesn't help.

Apparently it used to be fairly common in the UK for workers with bad backs to hook their hands over the top of a door and hang from it for a while. I've only ever tried that briefly when I've already done my back in. Sleepless nights indeed. Every time you naturally turn over in bed it wakes you up, and I just can't sleep lying on my back.

Yea I'm also tall Clive and have a long reach! Had a physical therapist tell me to squeeze my abs every time I pick up something or lean over. Feels awkward but after a while you don't realize your doin it and it helps with the "Beer Gut"!:D

[BigClive]

Yea I'm also tall Clive and have a long reach! Had a physical therapist tell me to squeeze my abs every time I pick up something or lean over. Feels awkward but after a while you don't realize your doin it and it helps with the "Beer Gut"!:D

Someone did mention a while back that it's useful for your back to strengthen your abdominal muscles by exercising then at every opportunity by clenching your stomach muscle groups repeatedly. I actually started doing this for a while and would surreptitiously exercise the muscles during pauses at work. It did actually seem to help and also "trimmed" that area better then any gym workout did. Trouble is.... It's easy to stop doing it and get out the habit.

[MI-Lineman]

Someone did mention a while back that it's useful for your back to strengthen your abdominal muscles by exercising then at every opportunity by clenching your stomach muscle groups repeatedly. I actually started doing this for a while and would surreptitiously exercise the muscles during pauses at work. It did actually seem to help and also "trimmed" that area better then any gym workout did. Trouble is.... It's easy to stop doing it and get out the habit.

Yep! I always seem to remember to stretch it the other way with a dirty thirty of BUSCH beer though!:D

[LostArt]

I have another story about spinal injuries. This one involving a long time friend and lineman. But, I have to cook supper! :D

We had a lineman friend fall from a pole about a month ago. We have known him for close to 30 yrs now.

They took him to the near by hospital, took xrays, and then sent him home with a cracked spine. Yeah, you heard me. Same hospital that sent my husband home with 3 degree face burns years ago---just told him to go home and see his local doctor when he got the chance. Local doctor thought it crazy too.

Anyway, his wife couldn't move him, help him, nothing. And he couldn't move without the pain. This happened on a Friday, they came and got him on a Saturday, and Sunday had surgery for around 4 hours.

So far he is doing well, of course we don't think he will be back to work now. Sad really. This was the lineman that my husband said was one of the best lineman he ever saw as far as climbing and doing the work.

I got off track a bit, but I'm with Groove, it's an important part of your back. It's everything to keep you going. When I fell the other day painting, I laid there and my thought was, "Please don't let this be bad." I know alot of folks with back problems, and I didn't want to be one of them. As Groove mentioned, I think we need to try and take care of it. 'Course most of us, as Poot mentioned, should of took care of it while we were young.

[LostArt]

Mine is a Healthrider Inversion System, I think it is made by the same people that make the Nordic Trac stuff, I have used the cheaper ones and they work just as well there just not as comfortable, to me the most important factor in picking one is what kind of set up it has for your feet and ankles because that is where all the strain will be and some of the ones I have seen are quite uncomfortable and if it hurts you to use it you wont. I had a herniated disc that herniated inward and pinched off my spinal column and the second it happened I was down, they wanted to do open back surgery but I was told about a place that's only a couple hours away that could do it all arthriscopiclly, best move for me I'm not sure what all they did but they fixed me to where I could get up and go again and go back to work and they recommended the inversion table, I have used mine about twice a week ever since. Kinda long and drawn out but I hope that helps L.A. P.S. it's been a while but Mike Honcho sent you a picture of himself and it looked like he had one in the background to me so he may be able to shed some light on em.

I finally just went and ordered one. I didn't get the cheapest, but I didn't get the high priced one either. I'm going to see how it goes, and then we can order a better one. I would have went a little higher priced, but the Boss was standing next to me! :D

It's an Ironman Gravity.

The other thing I was going to ask you guys was what kind of bed you slept on. But, I just figured I'd get too much dag gum grief over that! :D

[johnbellamy]

What it does for me personally, I feel's pretty good when I am on it, but after I use it, I tighten up even worse afterword's. But everybodies different. I have an Ironman., not bad for $100. Pretty easy to put together.

[BigClive]

The other thing I was going to ask you guys was what kind of bed you slept on. But, I just figured I'd get too much dag gum grief over that! :D

A king size bed with an orthopaedic mattress. Just me. Nobody else ever shares my bed.

See? I can reply without smutty jokes. :rolleyes:

[LostArt]

I'm so surprised Clive. :D We are going for some sleep # thingy. We have been on a queen size for a while. It's funny because when we were first married we had a king, and then about 10 yrs ago or more we went to the queen---for the space. I asked if he wanted a king and he said not. http://www.avowners.com/forum/smileys/doh001.gif


What it does for me personally, I feel's pretty good when I am on it, but after I use it, I tighten up even worse afterword's. But everybodies different. I have an Ironman., not bad for $100. Pretty easy to put together.

Yeah, I've been hearing this. I sincerely hope it works for the Boss.

[Mike-E]

I'm so surprised Clive. :D We are going for some sleep # thingy. We have been on a queen size for a while. It's funny because when we were first married we had a king, and then about 10 yrs ago or more we went to the queen---for the space. I asked if he wanted a king and he said not. http://www.avowners.com/forum/smileys/doh001.gif



Yeah, I've been hearing this. I sincerely hope it works for the Boss.

My sister-in-law has a sleep number bed and she and her husband love it. My wife and I are thinking about buying one.

[MI-Lineman]

My sister-in-law has a sleep number bed and she and her husband love it. My wife and I are thinking about buying one.

I got one I'D PROBABLY PAY YA TO TAKE!:cool: They ain't worth a f$ck! When we bought our queen size ya had 90 days to send it back but still had to pay 150.00 return shipping! After 6 months I thought I had it figured out for about a year but the back pains came back!

Plus you have to order a size larger than your used to because if you're used to a soft bed the 4 inch's of foam used as the border around the edge of the mattress is harder than your number?:eek: That actually makes your sleepin surface smaller!

Haven't heard much good from others either! Get a foam bed! The only complaint (other than the price) is they're to hot but now they put air pockets in them to cool'em down!

Besides if the foam beds are a scham (according to sleep number) then why do you get a thicker FOAM pillow top the more money you spend?:rolleyes:

[BigClive]

I don't think any bed will help with a sore back, but for heavier people a stiffer mattress is needed to avoid sinking in with a curved spine.

I've seen the hype behind the memory foam mattresses, but I don't sleep in a single position during the night so I don't want to make it a burden to roll over. I think that again, bigger guys probably turn over on bed a lot more at night, due to the bloodflow restriction in the arm they're lying on. :p

Another issue for the broader shouldered individuals is getting a firm pillow that supports your head properly when you are lying on your side. If I'm staying in digs for a while I'll often get a 12-pack of toilet rolls in a 4x3 package and use it as a pillow lifter. It's a lot better than putting your travel bag under their flimsy little hotel pillows.

[electriklady]

To all of the younger people on here it is definitely good advice to take care of your back while you are young. I can certainly attest to that. When I was young I was in a horrific car accident.....Among other injuries...I fractured all of my lumbar vertabrae. It was the least of my problems at the time and actually was the least painful.......Not so fast......Around 35 I started having some serious back problems, put me in bed a couple of times for a month at a time, and the pain was just excruciating. I was a meter reader at the time and I went to work for four years in some of the most horrific pain one could imagine. I would literally have to take my hand to lift my right leg to climb up steps. Chiropractor worked on me and had me doing some excercises for the problem.....the exercises caused a whole new monster......sciatic nerve problems, if I thought it was bad before..that was nothing compared to the pain of a pinched sciatic nerve. The pain was from ass to toe and it was torture. Next came the steroid injections, in the back and hip(got bursitus from walking differently to compensate for the pain) Just before I left meter reading, I went to the doctors, I couldnt take any more pain, when the doc walked in I was in tears and said to him "You have to do something about this pain or cut my leg off." and I was dead serious. More steroid shots and oral steroids. Once I left meter reading, and quit getting in and out of the truck hundreds of times a day and walking miles and miles each day, the pain slowly subsided. Am I all better? no and never will be...have arthritis in my spine but the sciatic flare ups are a lot less and the pain is tolerable most of the time. A bad back is no joke so if you are young, please heed my warning, cause you need your back for everything, sitting, standing, walking, lifting, bending, and yes even lying down. Take care of it so you dont have the pain and stiffness I have when you grow older. It can dictate your life.

As Edge says....For what its worth

[LostArt]

Oh man. So sorry EL. My husband has had bursitis in his elbow before. Very painful he says. Gracious, you have been through a lot girl.

[electriklady]

What sucks is if I knew then what I know now, would never have gotten into that car that night.............Sad when you are the one that is the cause of your problems.....ahhhhh live and learn

I have heard it said....."What doesnt kill you...makes your stronger." Dont know if I agree with that, I might amend that to "What doesnt kill you makes you stay close to Tylenol and have a lifetime love affair with your heating pad." Slipped in the snow today, and the sciatic nerve is acting up..... explaining the fact that I am up at 4am posting on this site. Time to go snuggle with the heating pad again!!!!!:rolleyes::(

[barehander]

LA
Bought mine 11yrs ago.
I have to disagree with MI-LINEMAN that the "Bucket Babies" are the ones with bad backs and that pole climbing is the best. Coming up, there were no buckets, all off the pole. At work, we (the oldtimers) talk about this often, how lucky the newer guys are that their knees and backs will last longer.
Anyway, in 1999 I tweaked my back pretty good. My Chiro was on vacation, nowhere to go. I was sleeping in the living room, back on the floor, legs on the couch...whining like alittle baby. I had read about these tables and talked my Ex to go to a sporting goods store and buy one, $400 at the time. Set it up, adjusted it, and got on it. I could not bend over and lock my feet into it, so my Ex did that. I took alittle time going back, a little at a time, until it was at verticle. Was there for just 30 seconds, came back down, bent over and un-hooked my feet. Have been a believer ever since.
These are not for everybody, you need to study the pros and cons. I would also suggest not to get on this by yourself the first time, until you understand how to get back up.
I bought the early GL9500, this is the brand.
http://www.teeter-inversion.com/

[LostArt]

Hey BH! :D

Ours came in this week. The Boss tried it a few times last night and really likes it. He says it helps him.

Now, I've hurt myself by falling again this week when I was at work. I'm a tad bit bruised but nothing broken, thank goodness. I feel like a klutz! :D

[topgroove]

Damn .... be carefull! I'm getting a little woried about you.:mad:like I don't have enough to worry about:(

[LostArt]

Damn .... be carefull! I'm getting a little woried about you. like I don't have enough to worry about

:D

No, I'm fine. I think it's called "reaching your limits" and I've reached mine. I need to go slowly about certain things these days.

And this weather ......truly is the pitts! It was in the low 20's here this morning! :eek: We have used our fireplace more this year than all of the 8 yrs combined since living here-----and we are only on our 10th day of the year! Caaah...raaay...zeee!